The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-04-07
spAuNr0N. VIRGINIA. APRIL 7. 1887.
Industrial and Scientific Notes.

Industrial and Scientific Notes.
Prepared especially for the VIRGINIAN.i
One on the latest large cannon will throw
an 800 pound projectle which will pierce
33 inches of armor at one mile range.
A farm in Louisiana, owned by a syndi-
| Of New y ork capitalists, contains 500, 600
acres.
/ 1t is about 100 miles long on each side
and has been divided into sections by
fences, which alone cost $4,000,
The blowing, ditching, &C., is done by
steam power, and most of the carrying is
done by the three steamboats, the company
owns and which ply on the 800 miles of
navigable water lying in the domain. The
Southern Pacific Railroad runs for 36 miles
through this farm.
! An improved method for preserving
hides from decay. the attacks of insects.
and other sources of destruction, is accom-
plished by the use of infusorial earth, or
| fossil meal. This substance consists of
the silicious shells and skeletons Of lower
animals of former ages, which possess the
power of absorbing the juices of the hides
in remarkable degree. 1t is by the per
feet dryness obtained by this means that
| the hides are preserved.
! 1t is proposed to bridge the Strait of
Messina. At the place selected the chan
mel is p miles wide and 36l feet deep.
| The Electrical Reeieu calculates that at
least 1880 yoltaic arc lights are lighted
nightly and at the same time $40 900 mean
descent electric lamps.
/ That there are $50 local electric lighting
amount of money invested in electric light
ing manufacturing, &c, is Sl07 100000.
| TteVnginia Diamond. This stone, which
is probablythe largest diamond ever found
i'll this country, was found by workman
about the year 1850, at Manchester, Va.
The gem was not recognized at first, and
by way of experiment was placed in an iron
furnace at Richmond. After remaining
at red heat for 2 hours and 20 minutes it
was found to be unimpaired and brighter
| than before.
When its character was fully determined
it was valued at 200. II passed through
a number of hands, being cut at an expense
of 81 500, and AZ one time there was Sc 900
loaned on it. The original weight was 23i
karats, which was reduced by the cutting
to II 11-16 karats. AS the stone is off color
and imperfect it is not worth to-day more
than $500 or $500.
The Slate Industfy.-A detailed report of
the slate from the Lehigh region. Pennsyl
yania, shows that during 1856 there were
100000 squares of roofing slate sold ard
shipped at an average of 1915 per square.
Bangor and Penargyl regions, 2l5,34l !;
Vermont, III, 1856; Maine, $4,000; Chap
man S. "A ,464; Virginia, $4,000; Peach Bot
tom, II ,000-a total of 524, $50 squares.
During the past year there were also
shipped from the Slatington region, Penn
I sylyania, AZ ,3SS cases of school slate, ,673
q cases and 81 cars of tagging, 6.79l cases
OF blackboard, cases of mantles, and 80
slate.-E. q: mr. Journal.
/ Slags from Basic Steel Process. The slags
produced in making the l,3l3,6l3 tons Of
basic steel in Europe last year amounted
to 1874, 900 tons, and contained from 80 to
35 per cent. of phosphate of lime. In 1855
South Carolina yielded of phosphate rock
277, 7S9 tons, aud Canada of apatite 4,290
tons, the combined quantity of material,
though not of contained phosphate of lime,
being, therefore, less than that obtained
as by-product from the steel works of EuA
rope. If the basic process gain footing
in Alabama and Tennessee, the South it
self will offer market for one of its own
most valuable products; but no old or new
sources of phosphoric acid are likely to
outstrip in production the demands Of our
Western eat-felds, which are being so
rapidly developed.-E. &c III. Journal.
Prof. EHhu Thompson recently deliver
ed lecture before the Massachusetts In
stitute of Technology on the subject of
electric Welding. His process is to forci-
bly, press together the two pieces of metal
to be welded, then send through the metal
an electric current of large volume. The
resistance offered to the passage of the cur
rent between the ends of the bars in con-
tact generates welding heat. The pres
sure causes thorough union and generally
causes a slight expansion at the front of
contact. Under this treatment many
metalsi formerly impossible to weld, such
as cast iron, zinc, tin, &c., are now joined
with ease. One of the most important ap-
plications is the joining. of copper and iron
wires necessary i'll the manufacture of
coils for magnets, electric light lines, tele-
phones, telegraphs, &c.
An Ingenious Optical Test,-In a large
factory in which were employed several
hundred workmen one of them, in WELD
ing his hammer carelessly, allowed it to
slip from his hand. 1t flew half way across
the room and struck fellow workman in
the left eye. The man averred that his
eye was blinded by the blow, although care
full examination failed to reveal any injury,
there being not scratch visible. He
brought a suitin the court for 'compensa
tion for the loss of half of his eyesight, and
refused all offers of compromise. Under
the law the owner of the factory is respon-
sible for an injury resulting from an acct
dent of this kind, and although he believ-
ed the man was shamming, and that the
whole case was an attempt at swlndllEg
he had about made up his mind that he
: would be compelled to pay the claim. The
day of trial arrived. and in open court al
eminent oculist retained by the defense
examined the alleged injured member, ant